


banana fish rants + essays

by d011gutz



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Analysis, Essays, Other, Rants, banana fish - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28466148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d011gutz/pseuds/d011gutz
Summary: i talk about banana fish because it broke my heart
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

hi ! my names are nym and jules and i’ll be using this book to talk about banana fish ! one of my favorite anime series <3 i’ll be doing character analysis essays , symbolism essays , and more. If you would like me to discuss a specific topic please let me know. thank you and i hope you enjoy ! ! 

I would also like to clarify that this is simply a fanwork and is in no way affiliated with Banana Fish

(my pronouns are also they/them just to clarify)


	2. Why banana fish resonates with the LGBTQIA+ community

Ash and Eiji’s relationship is based off of ash finding freedom and finding himself through eiji’s unconditional love for him. 

For a lot of queer people , we fear that our loved ones only love us conditionally and that if we come out and show our loved ones our true selves , that love will be revoked.

Eiji’s permanent and unconditional love for ash is something that a lot of queer people seek. We wish to be our true selves and still receive that same unconditional love. 

The ending is hard to accept after the show because even after ash died , eiji still loved him. Queer people crave that unconditional love. 

(This topic and idea came from @ // solosalrm on tiktok , i essentially just rephrased what they said and added a bit more onto it)


	3. ash lynx’s character design

Ash Lynx’s Character Design 

Today I wanted to discuss Aslan’s character design. Before i continue , please be aware that i wrote this very late at night and i am extremely tired. I apologize for any mistakes / confusion . this will include mentions of child pornography and banana fish spoilers 

Ash is a relatively tall , white male with long blonde hair and green eyes. He is seen wearing a few different styles of fashion throughout the show. For the first half of the show we see him wearing more causal clothing such as plain t shirts, ripped jeans , and flannels at the waist. All is regular attire for the average attire for an American teenager. In the later episodes of the anime , we can see him wearing more “mature” outfits such as sweaters and turtlenecks , long coats , and glasses. These articles of clothing are mostly worn by adults in professional settings. 

I could be reading to much into this but i think this could symbolize ash’s maturity and overcoming his trauma. Within the later moments (where ash is seen wearing this style of clothing) of the show ash’s child pornography photographs are destroyed and dino his abuser dies. 

Other than symbolizing ash’s trauma , i think his character design accentuates one of banana fish’s special charms. 

Banana fish takes place in New York , a very popular city in America. Banana Fish discusses an immigrant’s (eiji) point of view of America. One of my favorite moments in the anime is when ash says something along the lines of “Is this really the land of freedom”? 

Banana fish displays eiji’s innocence and naive opinions about America and how they change as he learns more about ash and more about the dangers of New York. It shows how many immigrants view America as this almost heaven like place but in reality it’s so much worse. 

The american teenager aesthetic and fashion style is something that immigrants might find comfort in. your teen years supposed to be your best days as a youthful and free person. This relates to eiji’s initial mindset about New York. 

In the later episodes Aslan is wearing more mature clothing with more muted colors. I think these more “grown up clothes”. I think this symbolizes that growing up can make life more depressing. you realize so many more problems when you grow. This is connected to how eiji realizes that America is a horrible country filled with lies and deceit. 

In conclusion, white boy wearing white teen clothes symbolizes some depressing things. i’m not writing an actual conclusion it’s 12:49 and i have school tomorrow goodnight


	4. a full list of trigger warnings for banana fish

so today i wanted to provide a full list of trigger warnings for banana fish ! before you recommend banana fish to someone please provide them with a list of triggers. the anime includes a lot of sensitive material and being triggered by that material can cause someone to get seriously hurt !! remember that trigger is a literal medical term 

-rape   
-child prostitution   
-child pornography   
-sexual harassment   
-gun shootings   
-gore   
-eating disorders   
-verbal harassment   
-child sex trafficking   
-possibly ptsd  
-depression / suicidal thoughts   
-death of a family member   
-antisemitism  
-death of a loved one 

please let me know if i missed anything !


	5. banana fish’s setting

hello ! today i wanted to talk about banana fish’s setting and why it fits the story so well . tw for child sex abuse and loss of loved ones. 

Banana fish takes place in New York . This city is well known outside of America as well . The media often portrays New York as this almost heavenly place . it’s portrayed as an almost escape . the city is overwhelming and liberating. 

This relates to eiji’s foreigner mentality. many foreigners and immigrants idolize america and see it as the land of freedom , especially New York as it is a popular city and represents America perfectly. 

As eiji spends more time with ash in America he learns more about his past and how the American government has taken part in it . mainly , his past with sex trafficking and producing child porn with Dino Golzine. Dino got away with this because he has power over the American government. He is a rich white man and those people have the most power in America . 

Eiji learning about ash’s past reflects how many foreigners and immigrants change their opinions on America once they actually arrive there. America at its core is a truly corrupt and cruel place . banana fish perfectly captures this concept though eiji becoming less naive and learning more about his soulmate’s past .


	6. aslan’s death

today we are talking about ash lynx’s death , if that makes you uncomfortable please skip this chapter . 

Banana fish at its core is a tragedy. the audience can already tell that it is a tragic and angst filled story , within the first few episodes we learn about ash’s sexual trauma and we see people die . the anime introduces many dark themes throughout the show and sprinkles in happier/joking moments with ash and eiji. 

but once again , it is a tragedy above anything else . one moment the boys will be joking or teaching each other japanese , having any sort of regular bonding moment and then the next someone will be stabbed.

ash lynx was born to die . in the final episode , he avoids going to the airport with eiji. he fears that he will harm eiji once again and he would not be able to live with himself after that. he begins to read eiji’s letter , letting his guard down. he was overwhelmed with his soulmate’s unconditional love for him. in that moment where he was processing eiji’s love , he was stabbed by lao. he entered the new york public library and died while reading the letter. it was peaceful , he left with a smile on his face , his final thoughts were of his soulmate. he bled out for hours and chose his death . 

if ash hadn’t gone into the library , he would have returned to that world of violence. the authorities would have been involved and he wouldn’t be able to move on from the violence . he could never truly be in a safe space with eiji . 

one of my favorite scenes of banana fish is eiji talking about ash the first time they went to the library together. he was talking about how he truly looked at peace and how he wanted to keep him that way forever . i find it beautiful and painful that he repeated this thought in the letter and that ash died in his safe space. he also died in the chair eiji died in . 

the point i’m trying to make here is that ash lynx had the perfect death 

(i know this chapter wasn’t written well , i don’t have much time to write these days . the next chapters will be “why sing soo ling deserved better” and “in defense of lee yut lung”


	7. in defense of lee yut lung

today i wanted to discuss yut lung and why he is innocent. 

firstly i want to remind you all of his past. his mother was a teenager and his father was an older man who basically forced her into giving birth to a large group of children. his brothers killed her mother and he was forced to watch. he was only a child when this happened. his brothers forced him into the world of violence and he has been working with influential people such as Dino Golzine since then. does this sound familiar? yes . he is just like ash. 

ash has severe trauma having to do with child sex abuse , loss of loved ones , etc. he was also forced into that world of violence and became a gang leader at just 17. he has killed and harmed many during his life time and yet people excuse his actions all the time . i believe that both of these men are innocent people especially yut lung . 

ash had the chance to grow and find himself through eiji’s unconditional love. yut lung had no soulmate and no friends . he is just like ash without an eiji or shorter. he had no friends and couldn’t deal with his trauma . 

he lived a sad life and deserved so much better.


	8. sing soo ling deserved better

today we will be talking about sing !

so sing soo ling is a 14 y/o male who was apart of shorter’s gang and was working under his wing until his death. He then worked with ash and then eventually with yut lung. he entered the world of violence at such a young age and has worked with many prominent figures within that world and i can only imagine the toll it’s taken on him.

Firstly , his relationship with shorter. Shorter was someone who he saw as family and he had formed a close relationship with his boss. Ash was put in a situation where he was forced to kill shorter who was also his best friend. Sing held a sort of grudge against ash but still worked alongside him and then guess what the mf dies because of his half brother.

In Garden of Light, we get to see eiji’s future. Sing has been taking care of eiji all these years and he desperately wants to move on from ash’s death. 

Yut Lung is eventually assassinated as well.

In the end Sing has no one left.


	9. cape cod 1985

today i wanted to talk about cape cod 1985 ! 

this was a specific part of the manga that really hit my heart. We all know that Banana Fish is a sad and tragic show that throws in a few happier and comedic scenes. 

This part of the manga seems neither sad or happy to me. For me personally , it gives me nostalgia. We all have those moments where we long to be a child again. This part of the manga shows ash and eiji enjoying american snacks and having fun swimming. the final quote in this part is “for that summer we were boys for the very last time” This shows ash and eiji’s final happy moments together. 

(sorry for such a short chapter , i really need more ideas so if you have any please lmk!”


	10. small update !

hi !! ive been a bit busy lately but the next chapter will be about blanca and pretty privilege!!


	11. blanca and pretty privilege

today i wanted to talk about blanca and the concept of pretty privilege ! sorry for slow updates , i’ve been a bit busy these days . 

Blanca caused Ash’s death. He worked with yut lung and Dino after years of being away and no longer associated with them. He played a big part in ash’s passing. 

I honestly have mixed feelings about this man but he is a prime example of pretty privilege. 

I hate mediocre white men.


	12. A perfect day for bananafish / Banana fish

A perfect day for banana fish by J.D Salinger is referenced within Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida. After watching the anime , i decided to read the story. 

Within the story by J.D Salinger , we are introduced to a man named Seymour Glass. He is a peculiar man and his wife demands him to visit a psychiatrist. He prefers children to adults and teaches a young girl about banana fish. Bananafish are animals that live freely in the sea , and can die from overconsumption of bananas. 

While bananafish might be a made up animal by Seymour , the way they die mirrors the way that humans do. Bananafish are greedy and materialistic , similar to Seymour’s wife. 

At the end of the story , he shoots himself with a gun. His suicide is shocking and the reader would not have guessed it. Quite similar to ash’s death. 

The story by J.D Salinger is about materialism and how it makes humans miserable. 

I feel as if this story perfectly mirror banana fish by Akimi Yoshida. Ash usually seems annoyed by his peers , and his happiness is only visible when he is with eiji. Similar to how Seymour is only happy when talking about Bananafish with the little girl at the beach. 

I do have more to say about these two stories but i’d like to re read A perfect day for banana fish before creating a full analysis.


	13. in defense of lao yen tai

hot take but i like lao and i think he deserved better . 

let’s think of things from Lao’s perspective. Sing and Lao both admired Shorter and probably saw him as some sort of comforting figure in the world of violence. Lao then learns that Ash killed him and he isn’t given the chance to properly grieve. 

He is then forced to take orders from Ash. Everyone claims that he’s this great leader and boss but he hasn’t seen it. He doesn’t understand why ash is in his high place of power. To Lao , Ash is just a white boy that everyone is willing to obey. 

Lao also wanted Sing to be in a high place of power such as Ash’s because it would greatly benefit him. He thinks that Ash is getting in the way of that and that is another valid reason to dislike him. When it comes to that world of violence , you need power over others. 

Lao might also dislike that fact that Ash very obviously prioritizes Eiji over everyone else. Lao doesn’t understand their love because he isn’t experiencing it first hand. He’s going to care more about his brother than the guy that ash is in love with. 

I also believe that stabbing ash could’ve been an act of impulse. He had so many reasons to dislike Ash in the moment and it could’ve also been a result of not properly grieving shorter’s death. 

And even if it wasn’t an act of impulse , he still had valid reasons to stab ash. He doesn’t see Ash in the way that Eiji and the viewers do. Honestly he had a lot of bravery in doing that. He knew that Ash was a powerful man and he still did it. 

I think that if Lao had killed someone else and had the same motives he would be praised or at least not hated. 

Also the way some of y’all hate him more than you hate Dino 😐 Lao is a regular gang member that wants to protect his brother and Dino is a literal pedophile and rapist.


End file.
